O Captain, My Captain
by Leila Winters
Summary: AU-The un-born are being collected...the problem: Megumi doesn't belong with them! Prisoner to the feared Hitokiris, locked in Aoshi's cabin. Kanryuu says hello. Chap 5 AND 6! COMPLETE :)
1. Stuck in the Middle

**_Writer's Note:  _**Omigosh…I actually wrote something for the Ice and Fire Contest!!!  This is it!!!  Since I got the heads up to go ahead and post on ff.net, I decided to get an early start.  I borrowed a lot of elements to put into this story, so I hope it's got a nicely diverse plot.  I feel bad because this is rated R and the contest calls for 17 appropriate age stuff…well, 16 year olds can go see a rated R movie…so there!  ^_^ Enjoy.

**_Disclaimer:  _**None of the Rurouni Kenshin characters are my creation…the Third Reich/ Nazi stuff…well, that's obviously not mine.  The Indian's idea of Untouchables…well, thank god that isn't mine!  You have been forewarned.  (Oh yeah.  And the poem O Captain, My Captain…well, that isn't mine either.  But I don't think I have to include that because poem titles don't have copyrights!)

_O Captain, My Captain_

By Leila Winters

            "Let me through, _please!_" Megumi Takani cried as the huddled masses pushed their way past her on the dirty streets, her shoulders bumping into several people.  Easily seen as an outsider among rags, the woman's lustrous hair was hidden by the hood of her dark blue cloak.  Her pale skin was soft and unmarred, while blood red lips pressed together in consternation.

            At last able to break free from the crowd, her form rushed towards a small child, curled tightly in his own rags on the sidewalk.  At her touch, the boy weakly lifted his head and smiled.

            "Nee-chan?"

            "No," replied the woman.  "My name is Megumi Takani.  I'm here to help you," her hands already roaming over the boy's delicate frame, checking for broken bones or signs of illness.  Pulling a piece of bread from within her sleeve, she handed it to her patient and continued her examination.

            The boy sat up and eagerly began to eat.  Between mouthfuls, he said, "Thank you…my name is Soujiro Seta…are you un-born, too?"

            And of course, the meaning is clear.  The un-born, lowest of the low in the social class pedestal.  Death was a less painful answer to the indignities and utter dehumanization these people were forced to suffer.  Life as an Untouchable offered no security and no guarantee of long life.

            Megumi faltered at the boy's question.  "…No.  I am native-born."

            The sound of gunfire startled both into looking up to see a mob of the un-born pushing and shoving in order to flee the ones who held the guns:  the Hitokiris.

            Men in neatly pressed black uniforms, blue armbands and semi-automatics scattered about, shouting orders to the people.  Over the din, the steady tread of a single set of boots could be heard coming ever so closer.

            Megumi felt a hand land heavily on her shoulder.  "Get up."

            She froze.  Eyes wide, the lady doctor thought she'd never been so scared in her entire life.  Suddenly, the same hand pulled roughly at her, flinging her onto the street with a thud.  "I SAID GET THE FUCK UP!!!"

            Wordlessly, Megumi stood on shaky legs and motioned for the boy to join her.

            "Get in line with everyone else."

            In confusion, the two looked around, earning an ungentle shove in the right direction.

            "KEEP MOVING!!"

            Hands on Soujiro Seta's frail shoulders, Megumi led the boy amidst the crowd of people, all walking in the same direction.  The Hitokiris stood not far away, their weapons at ready.

            "Everything will be fine, Sou-kun.  You don't have to be afraid."

            _Oh my God…what's going on?  Why is this happening?  _Megumi's thoughts raced, as the walking seemed to go on forever.  Those around her seemed to be sapped of their strength; it was a labor simply to keep their heads up.  The Hitokiris forced those who would not or could not walk any further to continue.  A man ahead collapsed in the street and begged for reprieve…and as Megumi and her charge walked past the man, a Hitokiri placed a bullet in his head.

            Megumi continued as instructed, but did not tire.  Instead of fatigue, the lady doctor just felt numb—in mind and in body.  The boy who traveled with her among strangers was amazingly resilient.  He did not complain once and merely smiled to the passersby.

            After a time, the crowd came to a halt and it was the waiting that had become unbearable.  Well away from the city, country and a pair of railroad tracks were the only sights in the wide vista.  Restless, the people paced or rested or huddled together.  Megumi pulled another piece of bread from her sleeves and split it with her patient, sitting together in solemn silence.

            In the distance, the steady chug of the train kept the people company.  There was a commotion among the Hitokiris and they ordered everyone up.  As the train came to a halt before them, several of the cars opened up and people started rushing in.

            Meg found herself unable to move.  Soujiro tugged at her hand.

            "C'mon, lady.  We'd better follow everyone else."

            An officer noticed the woman's lack of cooperation and stomped after them.  Pulling roughly at her arm and practically tossing her towards a car, he roared, "GET ON THE TRAIN, UN-BORN BITCH!"

            Eyes wide, Meg looked around her surroundings just in time to see Untouchables lining the walls before the cargo doors shut, enveloping everyone in complete darkness.

            "Where are we going, Meg-san?"

            "I…I don't know."

            After hours of sitting in cramped positions, the train came to a stop.  Having much time to mull it over, the lady doctor was in a panic.

            _Oh my God…they finally did it…the Hitokiris have taken over…_terror seized Megumi's heart as the predicament she found herself fully sank in.  Her breath caught and the doors slid open suddenly, allowing the sunlight to blaze through.

            _We have a new shipment coming in today…_thought Aoshi Shinomori, as he walked past the stalled train currently unloading its burden.  His black uniform was impeccably neat, as was his black hair, bangs falling nearly eye length.  The piercing icy-blue gaze accentuated even more by the royal blue armband on his right sleeve.

            Thinking about the new procedures to be implemented, Aoshi's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a young woman in a dark blue cloak struggling against two officers.  With a jerk, her hood fell from her face, revealing her wide, frightened eyes.  Still, he could see the fire in them.  It was clear she was of an entirely different class.

            Aoshi found his legs taking him in that direction.

            _"You don't understand!  I don't belong here!!!"_

            Shoving her into a more submissive position, one of the officers shouted, "YOU WILL DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!!"  The woman made a sound as that was reinforced with another rough shove, bringing her head closer to the ground.

            Aoshi Shinomori towered above them and both officers looked up in surprise.

            "Oh…Captain Shinomori!"

            "We're sorry.  This woman will not cooperate!"

            "This is standard procedure, sir."

            Aoshi's face remained impassive and the officers shrunk away from the cold gaze.  They quickly muttered apologies and disappeared from sight.  The woman remained on the ground, obviously shaken.  Thinking to see her savior, Megumi Takani lifted her gaze from the polished black boots to his face.  But she did not see a savior there.  The face was distant and unmerciful.  She would find no sympathy here.

            Sitting back on his haunches before the woman, Aoshi placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look directly into his eyes, their faces inches apart.  "You _will _comply with our rules and get in line with everyone else.  I have warned you now, but failure to fulfill our demands and you will face the consequences."

            Without another word, the man stood up and stalked away, leaving a shell-shocked Megumi behind.

            Soujiro shook the young doctor's shoulder.  "Meg-san, you'd better get up.  Look, everyone else is in line!  Get up!"

            Megumi coughed as she came out of her trance-like state.  Rubbing her face with shaky hands, she could not rid herself of the image of the Hitokiri captain with the piercing eyes.

            _What have I gotten myself into?  I just wanted to help people…I didn't want this…_

Using sheer force of will, Megumi got to her feet and stood in line with the other un-born.  Getting closer to the front, Meg noticed that all the females went to one side, while all the males went to the other.  With wide eyes, the lady doctor crouched to the boy's level, taking him by the shoulders.

            "You're going to have to leave me soon, Sou-kun.  Very soon, those men are going to take both of us away."

            The boy merely smiled.  "That's all right, Meg-san.  We'll be okay.  We're survivors."

            Shaking him a bit, the woman bit out, "You don't understand!  This is very dangerous!  Promise me you'll remember.  My name is Megumi Takani.  I am a doctor who hails from a line of doctor's, native-born in Aizu.  I have black hair and brown eyes and specialize in botanical medicine.  Promise me!"

            The boy gave her a puzzled look.  "I…I don't understand…"

            "When you get out of here, you must look for me.  I will take care of you.  Tell them you are my son and find me!  I will not be able to find you.  Promise me you'll remember!"  As these words were said, two soldiers came and ripped the two apart.

            Soujiro smiled good-naturedly at the woman, waving goodbye.  "I'll certainly remember, ma'am!  Don't you worry about me!"

            _What is wrong with him?  That boy has no fear…he won't last a day in this place._

Ushered along the dirt paths, Megumi joined the women to await her fate.

            Walking along the rows of grimy Untouchables, Aoshi Shinomori surveyed the lines of men.  His cold eyes roamed over their downcast faces and inspected their builds.  Stopping to regard a particularly frail man, his face remained impassive.

            Under the gaze of the Hitokiri captain, the man cracked and grasped the lapel of Aoshi's uniform, leaving a smudge of dirt on the material.  "Please, sir!  My family needs me back home!  Have mercy!"

            Without a single muscle in his face twitching, Aoshi took a step back and removed the pistol from the holster at his hip.  The man's cries grew shriller, but the barrel at his forehead never wavered and the recoil from the fired shot only momentarily jerked the captain's arm.  In disgust, Aoshi Shinomori turned away from the fallen body and walked off.

            Captain Hajime Saitou, cigarette in hand, smirked lazily at the officer.  "Having a bad day, Shinomori?"

            The officer stopped and shifted his frosty gaze to the amber-eyed captain.  There was a long moment as the two men regarded each other before Aoshi turned away without a word and kept walking.

**_End Notes:  _**Yeah…sorry if there's any confusion already.  The next chapter should explain a bit more, but also adds to the mystery.  :P  It's not a very revealing intro, I'll admit.

Reasons for the high rating:  This really is not a kiddy fic.  While language may not really be my objective (as in another story of mine I could name…), there will be some of it and the situations really are for more mature audiences.  (Honestly, do you remember reading about the concentration camps when you were still cracking the bathroom door to use the toilet?)  The above is about as violent as it'll get, however, there will be sections in the future which may get a bit…controversial.


	2. An Interesting Turn of Events

**_Writer's Note:  _**I've been trying to speed things along because I didn't want this to turn into a full-scale project, but it seems it has done so anyhow.  Though I am fast-forwarding things a bit, it's still going a lot slower than I intended.  (storyline-wise)  MEA CULPA!

_O Captain, My Captain  _(lol…that title cracks me up…)

            Megumi had never been so humiliated in her entire life.  She and all the other women stood shivering in the breeze as they held onto their garments.  Forced to stand in a long line and deposit their things into a wheelbarrow, their bare bodies were subject to close scrutiny.

            A man with white gauze wrapped around his hands and head paced in front of the assembled women.  His own black uniform was accentuated with a blue ribbon and gold medallion hanging on his breast pocket.  With each footfall, Megumi felt her world getting smaller and smaller.  She knew this man.  In fact, there wasn't a sane person in Japan who _didn't _know Makoto Shishio.

            Running for political office, the more powerful government officials ousted him, claiming that Makoto Shishio would cause the fall of the current system.  He went underground and built an army who more or less shared his ideals.  Rumors ran amuck about the crimson fields of Kyoto, where the un-born were massacred in pools of family blood.  Confident that his cause was strong enough, Makoto Shishio re-emerged, the founder of the newest party, the Hitokiris.

            In actuality, his new faction called themselves the Juppongotana, but someone in the press labeled them hitokiris and the name stuck.  Rumors about overthrowing the government whispered in marketplaces.  Politicians hid in their homes, afraid of an uprising or assassination attempt.  And through it all, stories of the un-born filtered through the masses.  Stories of the useless being used as target practice for Shishio's army.  Forced labor and random slaughters.  It was a nightmare that was far from the native-born's sight, tingling their nerves with the horrific violence and lighting up gossip.

            The bandaged man walked down the line of women, looking them over carefully.  "Ladies.  Some of you know who I am.  The rest of you filth may not.  You are to refer to me as Shishio-sama…leader of the most-feared army in all of Japan.  In the next few minutes, you all will undergo an inspection, followed by orders of where you are to receive your uniforms.  Do not bother struggling.  Refusal to cooperate will hold dire consequences."

            Behind the Chairman, Megumi noticed a pair of eyes watching her intently.  The lady doctor's breath caught as recognition hit her.

            _It's that…that officer from earlier!_

            Not able to tear her gaze from the stoic face, Megumi felt a chill crawl up her spine as Aoshi Shinomori continued to impassively regard her.  His eyes were sharp and seemed to glow with an unreal light.

            On pure instinct, the woman pulled her long, black hair in front of her in an attempt to cover her bare body from the prying eyes of the male officers.  Still, she didn't feel victim to lascivious looks, it was more discomfort at being the object of such methodical scrutiny.

            However, Megumi's discomfort was replaced with absolute mortification as the inspectors picked their way through the assembled women, one by one, and subjected them to unspeakable horrors as their bodies were no longer their own.  The doctor's eyes darted to the captain with the unreadable blue eyes, but he was already gone.

            Captain Aoshi Shinomori lay on his bed in his personal one-room cabin.  Staring at the wooden beams above, the captain listened to the cries of the women outside.

            _"Welcome to Kyoto," _Chairman Shishio's parting words echoed in his ears.

            Over the screams, two distinct shots rang out, signifying a very clear and definite parting of one of the un-born.

            In his mind's eye, played scenes he had seen over and over again:  children being ripped from their mothers and "health" inspections terrorizing the masses into submission, their bodies exposed to the elements…

            So this was the life of a Hitokiri.

            Given a pair of grey pants and a grey shirt, Megumi was sent to work sewing uniforms.  She was quiet and kept to herself, dutifully stitching the inseam around a table with other women.  Glancing up from her fabrics every now and then, she eyed the Untouchables seated around her, most with drawn faces and thin fingers.

            Outside the warehouse, shouts and gunfire could be heard periodically over the hushed whispers and rustling cloths from the tables and tables of women inside.  A few of the un-born would push carts through the lines and collect finished products, their gazes on the stone floor.

            The doctor sewed even after her fingers were raw and cramped with the movements.  A bell rang loudly through the structure and she followed the people to receive a small bowl of tasteless soup and a piece of stale bread.  Sitting at a table with other somber women, Megumi dipped her bread into her bowl and ate the meager meal, afraid to look around.

            A body sat itself down in front of the lady doctor.  "Hi!  Are you new here?"

            Meg's head snapped up.  She recognized the woman with the long, black ponytail as one of the sewing ladies at her table.

            "I just got here today," answered the doctor quietly.

            The other woman smiled.  "It's tough here, but you get used to it.  My name's Kaoru.  What's yours?"

            "Megumi."

            "Nice meeting you.  Do you know where your barracks are?"

            Meg shook her head.  
            "When dinner break's over, I'll show you.  It's lights out in one hour."

            Face still deadpan, the doctor stared at the young woman.  "You seem awfully chipper for someone so close to death."  Meg was surprised to see that all the other woman did was smile.

            "The longer you're here, you come to either two realizations.  One, that life is hopeless and full of meaningless death; or two, that not all of the Hitokiris are bad men."

            "But this place…"

            "It's not Shangri-La, no."

            "You DID undergo the 'health inspection,' right?"

            "Yes."

            "Then how can you…"

            The young woman leaned closer in earnest.  "Miss Megumi, I speak from experience when I say that you will find many Hitokiris merciful and fighting for a different cause than that of their leader's."

            In the officer's mess, Aoshi Shinomori sat at a round table with his colleagues.  Jazzy piano music supplied by a woman with very nimble fingers provided tonight's entertainment.  His eyes roamed over the assembled men, some he easily got along with and some he didn't.

            "Shinomori, it's your move."

            The captain laid his cards down.  "Three of a kind."

            There was a rumble of protest as the cards were rounded up and redistributed.

            "Mm.  Have you seen the new batch of un-born?  Sorry lot.  They're no fun to break in."

            Aoshi eyed Captain Kanryuu Takeda.  Considered one of the most zealous of the Hitokiris, the other officers made a point to steer clear of him.

            "Oi!  Takeda, if you keep killing 'em off, there won't be any left!" the young, brash Captain Sagara jabbed.  Though said in jest, there was disapproval in his tone.

            "Shut it, half-breed.  If I wanted advice, I wouldn't go to a half-wit like you.  It remains unknown to me why Chairman Shishio allowed you to join our ranks."

            It was a painful blow.  Unlike the other officers, Sanosuke Sagara was neither native-born nor un-born.  He was both.  Born under a native mother and a low-class father, the young captain was raised in the high society amongst the norms.

            "Maa…don't be so harsh on the man.  He cannot help how he was born," said one of the men.  His kind smile and soft violet eyes were the only openly friendly pair at the table.  Captain Himura naturally stuck out in a crowd because of his shaggy red hair and small rat tail in the back.

            Takeda snorted.  "Exactly.  Blood will always tell.  Un-born sympathizers don't belong in the Hitokiri ranks!"

            "Please, Captain…" Himura pleaded.

            "You've got your Untouchable bitch to pine over, so don't pretend you don't already feel sorry for them."

            "That's enough!" ground out Captain Hajime Saitou, grasping the other officer by the neck.  "We're done talking about this."

            But Kanryuu Takeda remained unfazed.  He grinned at the other man, his voice raspy.  "Now, I wasn't talking about that fine specimen of a wife you have.  Her blood runs remarkably true…why do you keep her locked up in that small cabin of yours, Hajime?"

            Aoshi Shinomori watched as the amber-eyed captain squeezed even harder, Takeda's airway blocked for an uncomfortable few moments, before letting go and abruptly leaving the table.  Kanryuu noticed he was being watched.

            "What's wrong, Shinomori?  Nobody love you?"

            The captain merely stared impassively, his eyes unreadable.  "Full house," he said, and laid down his cards.

            "Let's see what barracks they put you in…" moving behind the lady doctor, Kaoru lifted the woman's hair and peered at the numbers burned into the back of her neck.  "Hey!  What are the odds?  You're with me!  You can share my bed.  It can get kinda crowded…"

            Megumi smiled faintly at the young woman as they began walking towards their building.

            Kaoru blinked at her.  "What's wrong, Miss Megumi?"

            But Meg only shook her head and the rest of the walk was done in silence.  Upon arriving, Megumi changed into her standard-issue white shirt and crawled into bed with the woman who was determined to make friends.  Around her, beds sat inches from each other and gaunt women huddled together.  It was so quiet.  Meg thought she would scream.  _Don't these people understand what is happening?  Why does no one fight back?_

"LIGHTS OUT!" a soldier yelled, moments before the room was encased in darkness.

            It was too much.  The day's events replayed in the doctor's mind and she felt her will begin to drain away.  _This is it…this is how the Takani line will end…_

Megumi was surprised to hear herself sniffle in the dark.  More so, that her breaths came in shaky pants and tears mingled with the thin sheets.

            It had been a long while before Kaoru whispered, "Miss Megumi…are you all right?"

            There was no response, save for the doctor's mewing.  It all seemed so hopeless…even if she were to find a way out, she bore the mark of an Untouchable…

            "You know, Miss Megumi, I know things seem dark now, but you must not give up hope.  I know of one Hitokiri captain who is working towards peace.  He is a kind man and says that there are others among the ranks who are trying their hardest to bring Shishio down.  All you can do now is find a way to survive day to day…if you can do that, it doesn't matter what else comes because you will be strong enough to withstand it," the young woman paused, afraid to go on.  "Do you…understand?"

            It was quiet for a long time and Kaoru thought the other woman had fallen asleep, but the bed shifted slightly and the hoarse reply came, "Yes."

            A week had gone by with the same routine…early mornings, late nights, soup and bread, fingers rubbed raw, the useless rendered dead…

            And yet, Megumi Takani felt eyes on her.  When walking to the bathrooms or on her way to bed, she would turn to find the same pair of cold eyes observing her, studying her.  The doctor did not mention any of this to her bedmate.  She simply went about her days trying to dodge the prying eyes of the Hitokiri captain.

            On the eighth day, a woman collapsed on the muddy pathway just ahead of the lady doctor, her body shook with coughing fits.  Immediately, Megumi knelt beside the woman, checking her heart rate and breathing.  Trying to make the woman as comfortable as possible, she coaxed her to focus on the breathing alone.

            "That's it…don't think about anything else…"

            Having watched the woman drop to her knees to aid the fallen un-born prisoner, Aoshi Shinomori stomped over, grasping her firmly by the shoulder and whirling her around.

            "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

            Megumi looked up in fear at the Hitokiri captain who towered over her.  "I…"

            But he was not looking for a response.  Instead, he planted a hand under her elbow, pulled her up, and with his other hand, fired his gun on the fallen woman.  "You draw far too much attention to yourself," he said, leading her quickly away from the scene.

            Rounding a corner, he released her, both with dark faces.

            "What was the meaning of that??" the doctor hissed.  "I could have helped her!  I am a—"

            In a flash, the captain had covered her mouth with his hand, pressing her roughly against the brick building.  "Don't say it," he growled, their noses nearly touching.  "There are a few things you need to learn about Kyoto…_never _stand out…it is dangerous to be in a profession such as yours."

            Megumi held her breath.  The sensation of the stranger's fingers on her lips was thrilling.  His eyes were dangerously pale as they gazed into her own.  She watched, frozen, as the captain's other hand reached out and curled around a lock of her hair, sliding down the thick tendrils of ebony.

            "You didn't really think you could pass for an un-born, now did you?"

            At once, he released her and pulled her across the courtyard, his strides wide and purposeful.  Unlocking the door to a small cabin, he thrust her inside.

            "This is where you will stay from now on.  Do not open the door for anybody."

            With that, he closed the door and firmly locked it.

            Megumi blinked at the turn events had taken.  _Okaay…I'm still alive, right?_

Looking around her new prison, the doctor was surprised to see that it was quite cozy.  A miniature kitchen sat in the corner: cupboards, small sink and stove next to a little counter.  A rectangular table sat against the wall with two chairs and a radio.  A bookcase holding several volumes of varied interests lay just outside the curtained off outlet that contained only a bathtub.

            …And next to Megumi lay a bed with crumpled blankets, layered for warmth.  _Wait a minute…_Rushing to the closet and sliding it open, the doctor stared at shirts folded neatly in the little shelves, boots laying on the floor, and the familiar black uniforms hanging in a row.

**_End Note:  _**lol…at that line, "You draw far too much attention to yourself…" I keep expecting Aoshi to bust out with a "Mr. Underhill."  LOL!!!  What can I say?  I'm a movie-buff.  :P  Go Tolkien.

Oh yah, as for LOCATION…um…I felt it best to leave that a bit ambiguous.  It didn't really seem to matter a whole lot to me.  But if it's troublesome, I suppose I could write it in…

A classmate of mine has been keeping close tabs on this story as-it-is-written.  She is a hopeless romantic and keeps urging me to "get to the good part."  Lol…I'm delaying it as long as I can.  So the previous scene is dedicated to her.  Perhaps the more I upset her…the more of "my kind of story" it'll be…no.  I'm not that cruel.  Am I?  :D


	3. Cabin Fever

**_Writer's Note:  _**Ah, bask in the glory of poorly written flames. You'd think if I got someone who wanted to bash me, I'd at least get someone who did it intelligently. I kinda wanted someone to bring up a really good argument.  ^_^  I'm so evil. But surprise, surprise.  *pouts*  It was an anonymous review. Thanks, a lot Red Ribbon. Ya did me a favor and it's appreciated.  :P

To my other reviewers:  ^_^  I left you guys on a bit of a cliffy, so I apologize.  Enjoy!  O Capitan, Mon Capitan 

            Captain Himura caught Aoshi on his way to the showers.

            "I have the native-born in my custody."

            The redhead studied the other man with his violet eyes.  "How many casualties as a result?"

            "One."

            Kenshin gave him an encouraging look.  "Good work.  Witnesses?"

            Aoshi thought about it for a moment.  "A group of Untouchables and a guard.  No one of consequence, I think."

            "Good.  Check into family background.  They may want proof of her bloodline."

            Megumi thought she would go nuts.  After two hours of doing nothing but sit and listen to the ticking of the clock, the walls were starting to close in on her.  She needed to _do_ something

            Tiptoeing to the bookcase across the wooden floor, the woman surveyed the titles displayed, picking out a crisp, leather-bound book.  "Translated Mo-zi…"  Megumi murmured absent-mindedly, a finger trailing along the spine.

            _My savior is a regular philosopher…_mused the doctor.  Book in arm, Megumi curled into the bed and began reading.  However, her stomach had other ideas—giving out a growl of protest.  The doctor found her eyes being drawn by the tiny kitchen in the corner…

            In the officer's mess, Aoshi ate sparingly, chewing everything very carefully.

            Captain Hajime Saitou watched him with his ever-observant eyes.  "Mm…Shinomori, you've taken up some unusual habits."

            "I haven't been feeling well lately," he answered flatly.

            "Interesting," the captain drawled, blowing smoke from between his lips.  "You didn't strike me as the type to fall ill."

            "Really, he's only human, Saitou," quipped Sagara, stuffing his mouth with a very generous forkful of chicken.

            It had been like this for over a year.  The officers would gather around for dinner, perhaps a little of the entertainment, and settle into a friendly game of cards.  Still, it did not mean that they were all close friends.  Too often, the adversarial roles they played day in, day out took their toll, and the men found themselves pitted against one another in a game of power.  Allies formed between men were always precariously teetering because one did not want to be caught _with _an ally.  Cruelty among the ranks was a common occurrence in order to avoid the suspicion camaraderie would bring.

            Thinking that pursuing that train of thought was not worth his time, Saitou turned his attention to the less imposing figure of the redhead.

            "You've already got two strikes against you.  Tread lightly."

            Abruptly, Aoshi stood up.  "I think I'll go to bed."

            Himura looked up from the table.  "You hardly touched your dinner."

            "…I'm afraid my appetite has left me."

            "Then you should take the rest of it back to your cabin and eat if you need a snack in the night.  We need our officers fit in the mornings."

            Aoshi watched Captain Himura carefully, his gaze running over the murky, violet depths.  "…Aa.  A wise choice."

            "We can have one of the ladies wrap it up…"

 'If we seek to benefit the world by taking universality as our standard, those with sturdy limbs will work for others, and those with a knowledge of the Way will endeavor to teach others'…hmm.  Such an interesting man I've managed to find myself stuck with…

 Curled within the warm blankets on the bed, Meg snuggled even deeper into them and eagerly held the book closer to her face.  She was so comfortable on the soft downy sheets, she could have stayed there forever…

 Her worries fell away, heavy-lidded eyes blinking stubbornly in the flickering lamplight.

 Aoshi could feel the night's chill creep underneath his uniform as he walked up the steps to his cabin.  Parcel in one hand, he unlocked the door and let his gaze roam the room for anything suspicious.

 The woman was underneath the layers of blankets he'd left on the bed that morning, a book next to her head, eyes closed, and a small smile on her lips.  Curiously, Aoshi lightly closed the door behind him and stepped into the room.  Immediately, a faint smell wafted up to his nostrils…something light, but slightly salty.

 Walking past the bed and the sleeping woman, Aoshi spotted a pot sitting on the stove.  He set the small package of leftovers on the counter and stirred the contents of the soup with a spoon.  It was a thin broth with scattered slices of carrots and potatoes.

 The Hitokiri captain looked with interest at his captive.  _A resourceful girl…_he thought.

 Changing into something more comfortable—tan drawstring pants and a black t-shirt—Aoshi padded across the floor and placed the doctor's book next to the bed.  Careful not to nudge her too much, he slipped under the covers and blew out the candle.

_            There were bits of flame licking at her feet, the heat was getting more intense, more alluring.  Soon it would reach her and consume her entire body.  Her feet burned…and yet the rest of her body shivered with cold.  The fire welcomed her…beckoned to her, but she knew she could not give in to it._

            "Meggie…" 

_            No._

_            "Come, Meggie-chan.  You don't belong here."_

_            Leave me alone._

_            "Your mother would disapprove."_

_            My mother is dead.  Leave me alone._

_            But as the flames leapt even higher, a scream pierced the night air with its pained siren song and Megumi could not tear her gaze from the dancing fire as it flickered in her dark pupils.  Fixed on the window of the uppermost floor, the screams within echoed in her ears._

**_End Notes:  _**Lo siento for the incredibly lame, short chapter!  Still…it seemed like a good place to stop.  Well, not really, but I'm still truckin'!  Next chapter will be a bit more exciting…I hope.  :P  [Arg!  Blast ff.net!  It's not liking my italics OR indented paragraphs!]

**_Disclaimer:  _**(Here's an idea!  A disclaimer at the end!  Lol)  Mo-zi's philosophy and ideas are not my own.  Irony:  Meg is reading ancient Chinese philosophy!  ('kay, maybe it's not so much irony…but amusing.)


	4. The Past Goes Up in Smoke and Flames

**_Writer's note:  _**It's slow, I apologize.  Keep on truckin'.  Don't be scared.

**_Disclaimer:  _**I've been reading a lot of Amy Tan recently and it is quite apparent that she influenced my writing a bit…So yeah.  If you catch any stylized structuring, it's probably hers.  :P  Lol, kinda ironic considering Tan is Chinese and wrote about how the Japanese invaded China and now I am taking a piece of her and adding it to my Japanese setting.  Mind boggling.

_O Capitan de Mio _by Leila Winters

            Meg's bleary eyes fought to focus as the last vestiges of sleep left her mind.  When her vision cleared, she saw the crumpled blankets and indented pillow next to her.  Bolting upright in bed, the doctor placed a hand on the pillow, feeling some residual warmth.  Her eyes darted around the cabin frantically, her heart accelerating with a lurch.

            _Nothing._

            Megumi lifted her fingers before wide eyes and stared in horror at the single strand of black hair grasped there.  It was short and thick, clearly not one of her own…and clearly, a man's.

            Meg leapt off of the bed and rushed to the kitchen, stopping at seeing a new parcel laid out for her.  Undoing the ties, her stomach rumbled at the sight of the food in the wrappings.

            Rubbing her belling uncomfortably, she was interrupted by a light rapping at the door and it reminded her that she had to go to the bathroom.  Badly.

            At first, the doctor only crouched behind the counter slightly, her weight on the balls of her feet.

            "Miss…?" a voice said.

            Meg reluctantly rose from her position and eyed the door warily, feeling herself drawn to it.

            The woman's voice was soft and deep…each inflection like plucking a single string on a guitar, ringing in the silence.  "Be sure you do not ignore what few allies you have…but I will forgive such transgressions this time, since you have yet to realize who your allies are."  There was a pause and the doctor could feel how close the other woman was to the door.  "I've lingered too long.  I look forward to meeting you."

            Just before the stranger departed, a note was slipped under the door and Meg watched as the shadow moved away.  Audibly exhaling, she hadn't even noticed she'd been holding her breath.  This was all so foreign to her.  Still a bit shaken, the doctor's curiosity got the best of her and she snatched the paper up to hold it in the light.

            _To the native-born captive,_

_                        I hope this letter finds you to be in good spirits.  Things are bleak currently, but I must ask you not to flinch away from it.  This life was not of your choosing, I understand that.  You are most likely not the first case of mistaken origin, but you are certainly the first to be discovered and tucked away.  By no means does this ensure safety.  You will forever bear the mark of an Untouchable—a pariah here in Kyoto and much of Japan.  The man you are staying with, Aoshi Shinomori, whom you will get to know soon enough, should provide you with all you need. Until then, stay out of sight and trust no one._

_                        Tokio Saitou_

_PS:  I will see about bathroom accommodations._

            Relief swept through the doctor at the last line, for she recalled foregoing bathroom needs all of yesterday, when shock hadn't even had time to hit her.  Still, her heart beat faster while staring at the letter in her hands.  Who was this Tokio Saitou?  What did she hope to gain in helping her?

            Rattled, Megumi fell into one of the chairs and clicked on the radio sitting on the table.

            "—io is steadily gaining more weight in parliament.  Sill, that seems to be inconsequential since the Prime Minister issued a warning to the chairman that if he does not end activity in Kyoto, he will be charged with treason.  The Prime Minister issued this warning from the safety of—"

            Abruptly turning it off, Meg lay her head on her crossed arms resting on the table.  _People are dying in this living nightmare and they call it "activity."  Everything is so wrong…_

            "Shinomori, everyone's all a-bustle with your new quarry," Captain Hajime Saitou taunted through twisted lips, his cigarette clasped in his hand.

            They were standing close to each other in the brisk air, their black uniforms fluttering in the soft breeze.  Supervising the male prisoners dig deep into the cold earth, Aoshi fixed the other officer with a heated gaze.  "How is it they came by this information at all, _Captain_?"

            Amusement entered the other officer's eyes.  "Word travels fast, my friend.  The native-born woman with the clinical hands is not something easily missed.  Any train you put her on will take her to a place equally dangerous as this one.  Have you any idea how you're going to get out of this particular Catch-22?"

            Aoshi fumed inwardly.  They were working towards the same goal, so how was it that Captain Hajime Saitou had the audacity—even the will—to provoke all those around him?  He was arrogant and malicious…hardly someone to abide.

            _He is not my superior officer.  I do not answer to him._

            Steeling himself, Aoshi pushed aside his rising contempt.  "In all fairness, _Hajime, _at least I am doing something other than criticize enemies and allies alike.  I know what it is _I _am working towards.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm being summoned."

            '_Those who are old and without wives or children will find means of support and be able to live out their days; the young and orphaned who have no parents will find someone to care for them and look after their needs_…'  Meg felt like slamming her head against the table.  She had never been so bored…and at the same time, so consumed with thoughts of rampant rivers, waterfalls, trickling streams and the steady drip of the bathtub in the back…her toes curled for the umpteenth time.

            _O God…I don't care who comes, but please, just let me pee…_

            The lady doctor was so busy with her thoughts that she didn't hear the key being inserted in the lock.  It wasn't until the door swung open that Meg stifled a shriek and stared into the pale eyes of the Hitokiri captain who entered the small domain.

            Closing the door unceremoniously behind him, he presented the doctor with the very thing she desired most:  a chamber pot.

            In actuality, it was little more than a grey bucket but all the world to someone who'd been holding it for nearly 24 hours.

            "Um…could you excuse me for just a moment?"  Megumi asked.

            Settling himself into one of the chairs at the table, Aoshi watched as the woman crept into the back on bashful toes.  He heard the water running in the tub and smiled faintly to himself at the woman's attempt to conceal other sounds, the squeak of the knob and ceasing of sloshing signified the doctor's re-entry.

            His steady gaze followed the woman's lithe form as it sat itself primly on the chair across from him and uneasy eyes shifted to his.

            "Captain," she said.

            Keeping himself impassive, he pulled a small writing tablet from his pocket, blinking slowing at his ward.

            "Full name, birth place and date," he said tersely.

            Clearing her throat nervously, the woman squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.  "Megumi Takani…Aizu…December 2, 1899," she murmured, shooting a quick glare at the man who was so determined to intimidate her.

            "Tell me your family's name and location.  I can have you returned home as soon as the end of this month, three weeks time."

            The woman looked as though Aoshi had his fingers wrapped around her neck.  He could not be sure if she thought this too long of an interval.

            "I…I don't have any living relatives to name," she began tentatively.

            The Hitokiri captain shot her a look and leaned back in his chair, indicating she should continue.  This made things much more difficult, indeed.

            "I mentioned before the profession I am in.  I come from an entire family of them."

            _Takani…I knew that name was familiar…_

"When I was four years old—"

            "—there was a fire during a riot and the Takani estate burned to the ground.  Generations of history was lost that night."

            The woman nodded quietly.

            "You are the heir and sole survivor of that Takani line," he finished.

            Again, the woman nodded.

            "Tell me, Miss Megumi, how is it you escaped?"

            I hadn't wanted to remember.  I'd spent my whole life trying _not _to remember.  But now I found myself thrown to the very center of Dante's Inferno and it was this man—this native-born _killer_—I was supposed to trust.

            My lips were moving of their own volition.  I had never told the story in its entirety, but it came out at last after so many years of silence.

            I awoke in the night and smelled smoke seeping through the cracks of my bedroom.  I ran into the hall, ready to scream for my family to wake up, for my mother who was upstairs preparing for her evening bath, but the smoke nearly knocked me down at first breath.  I crawled along the floor, coughing and gagging at the hot air that burned my lungs.

            The fire was already blocking my way, creeping up the wall with wicked fingers and consuming a painting of my mother's smiling face…the suffocating heat was overriding my other senses.

            I stumbled into the bathroom and tried to climb through the window, but my little feet couldn't bring me over the sill, couldn't even bring me far enough to let the smoke out.

            The tears that slid down my face!

            I climbed into the bathtub, already cold with the water my mother was to bathe in.  Surely, she was dead.  She did not come for her daughter when she cried.  That portrait was an omen.  Eaten up by that fire, surely my mother was, too.

            I shivered in the cold water and ducked beneath the surface to escape the acrid smell of burning carpet.  And yet, I knew the fire was creeping closer—already at the base of the tub, already beginning to burn my toes.

            So I was to be boiled like an egg.  Hot and cold.  Cold and hot.  Burning and shivering.

            Imagine my surprise when I heard a scream from the doorway of the bathroom.  Quickly, I surfaced and saw Maosa, the head servant of the household.  She screamed again and picked up her skirts to dodge the fire and lift my sopping body from the water.

            "Come, Meggie-chan.  You don't belong here," she said, hugging me to her and rushing to open the window.  After lowering me to the ground, she scrambled out and we ran together to watch the estate burn a little distance away.

            Pulling on my arm, she said, "Let's go.  Do not watch anymore."

            But I would not move, I was fascinated by the brilliance of the flames as they surrounded the top window of my house in the night air.

            "Meggie-chan," she said more forcefully, "your mother would disapprove."

            Of course, my mother was already dead.  But as my nightgown dripped steadily into the earth and my eyes watched the fire burn, I heard my mother screaming, the fire already upon her, her window on the top floor glowing.

            So you see, the burning portrait was an omen after all.

            "I'm sorry," was all Aoshi said after a long silence stretched between them.

            The woman studied him carefully and he wondered what she saw.  Could she see beneath the black uniform that concealed mixed emotions, to the very heart of his id?  At moments, it appeared she could—her words an appeal, his chest feeling a kinship to the way her eyes would glance at the floor and back up again, eyelashes flickering.

            "What happened after that?" Aoshi asked, pushing his thoughts aside.

            The doctor let out a breath, brushing her bangs to the side of her face.  "Maosa raised me on her own.  We eventually found some other servants who had escaped, but it was Maosa who took care of me at an inn and raised me.  I was not yet old enough to collect my inheritance from the bank.  Until then, she was sure to instill in me manners befitting a native-born child.  She sent me to make appearances at public functions, and when I was of age, I claimed the money that was rightfully mine and took my place in society. I used some of that money to fund a medical degree for myself and Maosa took a husband."

            "So, I can contact this woman, then."

            "Well, no…" Megumi said.  "Her husband brought home a disease from a whorehouse he visited and it killed her,"  The bitterness in her tone still heavy after all these years.  "She was the first patient I lost."

            The Hitokiri captain studied her carefully for a long time.  Looking at her, one wouldn't think, wouldn't even suspect, that her life held so many tragedies.  It seemed a joke that now she was here, in Kyoto, her life in peril because she had pursued an education that would enable her to help people.  How was it that she still managed to keep her back straight, that fire in her eyes?  The smiles she had offered her un-born bunkmate?

            Aoshi stood up and felt something shift in his clothing.  "I nearly forgot, Miss Megumi."

            "Please," the doctor breathed, "Just Megumi."

            He nodded and reached into the neck of his uniform.  A dark cloth fell onto the woman's lap and she blinked at it in awe.

            "The craftsmanship was so good, it seemed a shame to let it be pawned for one-third its value."  The captain turned away from her, now misty-eyed and rubbing the fabric between her fingers.  "It wasn't difficult to find among the dusty blankets and rags."

            Turning to go, a hand just on the doorknob, Aoshi heard the sudden movement of the woman, her hand stopping him with a firm grip on his sleeve.  "Wait."

            The moment seemed to become much more intimate in an instant.  Here were two perfect strangers thrown against each other and they were to be sudden allies without ever saying the other's full name.

            Megumi's cloak fell to the hardwood floor.  "Wait."

            The Hitokiri captain looked pointedly at the woman's hand on his arm.  Suddenly self-conscious, Meg pulled away and seemed to curl in on herself.

            "When I first came here, I was with a boy…Soujiro.  We were split up and I haven't seen him since.  Tell me the truth…what happened to him?  Where are the children, Aoshi?"

            Her eyes were so large, so sad that Aoshi almost missed her question.  He regretted that he had to be the one to bring such bad news.  "…I cannot really say.  If they can pass for adults or do the work of adults, they may find a way to survive.  The children that were on the train the day you came have already been shipped out of Kyoto.  I do not know what became of them."  This time, he reached an arm out and touched Megumi's shoulder, fingers already beginning to tingle.  "I am sorry."

            And as quickly as he had come, he was gone.  He prayed he knew what he was doing.

**_End Notes:  _**About to get to the nitty-gritty stuff.  Oh yeah.  And that's not REALLY Meg's birthday, if you haven't already figured that out.  :P  Just a little something I made up to give you guys an idea of the time period we're dealing with.


	5. Happy Birthday, A Prelude to Tragedy

**_Writer's Note:  _**Very heavy soon enough.  Hope y'all can deal.

_O Capitan, Mi Capitan_ by Leila Winters

            So much had happened…and all of it much too quickly.  _Aoshi is here to help me…_Meg reminded herself.

            The image of the Hitokiri captain shooting the woman cowering on the ground flickered through her mind.

            _He wants peace…_

Aoshi gripping her chin firmly between his fingers and telling her to get in line with the other un-born.

            _I am living with him…_

The hard, brick wall behind her, the captain's fingers sliding down her hair.

            _He's a decent human being…_

The doctor's navy blue cloak returned to her only moments before.

            _Oh god…I don't even know anything about him._

Staggering a bit at this realization, Megumi mentally scolded herself for being so stupid.  Of course she didn't know anything about him!  She just met him!

            _Good lord, if I don't get out of here soon, I'll be too dumb to keep hidden._

It had been a long day.  He was not looking forward to the trek home.  Overseeing the arrival of more prisoners was grueling, not to mention taxing on the mind.  Now he just wanted to collapse into bed and sleep.

            This was just about the time when reality came crashing down.

            _Ah yes…Megumi will be there…_

Opening the door to the cabin, Aoshi found the woman sitting on the bed, chin resting on her curled up knees, her gray garments stiff.  The captain stopped. 

            "You do not need to wear those clothes in here.  You are free to use anything in the closet.  "At the look of relief on Meg's face, he said, "I'll wait outside until you are done."

            Outside in the chilly air again, Aoshi leaned his back against the door and reached into a pocket to light a cigarette.  The burning in his lungs, the warmth in his cheeks, it was a welcome break from a day full of tragedy.

            The door behind him shifted and he moved before it opened.

            "You can come back in now," the woman said in a low voice, then retreated back into the cabin without waiting for a reply.

            Flicking his unfinished cigarette into the night's darkness, the Hitokiri captain re-entered to see Megumi slipping underneath the covers as though embarrassed to be sharing the same space with him.

            _Modest, too…_thinking that she wouldn't take kindly to his smile, he moved to the curtained off tub room to change for the night.

            By the time Aoshi got under the covers, the lady doctor was practically against the wall, the blankets pulled up to her nose.  She eyed the Hitokiri warily.

            It was very amusing.  She didn't mind sharing a bed last night…

            When he turned out the light, it was very quiet.  Awareness beat heavily against the walls and the sound of breathing seemed to fill the room.

            Aoshi listened to the woman's movements until all was peaceful, a sure sign that she was asleep.  Still, just as his mind began to wander, he felt the mattress shift, then it was still again.  A few minutes later, the same thing.  Aoshi opened his eyes and waited to adjust to the darkness.  The woman was asleep but in the grip of some dream, her brows drawn together in consternation.

            Watching her sleep brought a strange tingle to his shoulders.  It was at once uncomfortable and unnerving.

            Suddenly, the doctor sat up in bed and the captain quickly closed his eyes.  He could sense her looking around in alarm, assessing him, and then very carefully, the woman crawled over his body to tiptoe into the "bathroom."

            Aoshi waited for what seemed like forever but the woman did not come back.  Pushing the covers away, he silently made his way to the back, mind racing.  When he lifted the curtain aside, he saw her.  Despite the darkness in the room, he could make out her silhouette, curled up like a fetus in the bathtub.  Her pale skin dark against the white ceramic.  She was already asleep.

            _Huh.  That's odd…_

Shinomori reached a hand out and shook her slightly.

            The woman pursed her lips and curled even tighter.  "No…" she murmured weakly into her sleeve.

            Aoshi kept his hand on her shoulder and after a while, Meg's entire body shuddered, her eyes sprang open.  She did not scream like he thought she would.  Instead she blinked up at him and finally whispered in a shaky voice, "Aoshi…?"

            Tugging on her hand, he pulled her up and helped her step over the tub.  "You are a guest here.  There is no reason for you to sleep anywhere but the bed."

            "I'm sorry," the woman said, looking up at him.  "I didn't mean to wake you."

            The captain said nothing, only allowed her to climb back under the covers, facing the wall with her hair splayed across the pillow.  He joined her and watched the muscles in her shoulders bunch as shivers overtook her body.  The doctor could not find sleep.  She snuggled into the blankets, returning to her fetal position and continued to shake.

            Looking back, he could not remember how long he watched her, nor what compelled him that night to stretch his arm out and curl it around the doctor's waist, but it happened all the same and the woman grew still at his touch.

            "Go to sleep," he said to her.

            And she did.

            Whatever happened, it was clear that they were strangers no more.

            Megumi was alone again, washing her old garments in the bathtub.  The sloshing of the water rang in her ears so loudly that she nearly missed the sound of the doorknob turning.  Stopping, her ears picked up that unmistakable noise—a slight jiggling of the knob.

            Emerging from behind the curtain, Meg watched the handle move a little one way, stop, then jingle a little with a different kind of noise.

            Something was wrong.  Aoshi had a key.

            Fear entered her eyes.  Someone was trying to pick the lock.  Someone who didn't belong was trying to get _in_.  

            After what seemed like a concerted effort, the noise stopped altogether and the shadow under the door faded away.

            Breathing a real sigh of relief, the doctor made a mental note to mention it to Aoshi when he returned.

            The kickback jerked the Hitokiri captain's arm several times.  They were running.  Three un-born men were chosen at random and set loose.  Moving targets were considered more effective practice over still ones.  He missed.

            Next to him, three shots were fired and he watched as the bodies fell to the ground, mid-sprint.

            "You're getting soft, Shinomori," sneered Captain Hajime Saitou, gun cocked.  "If you're not careful, you're next."

            He only stared into the field.

            Megumi flinched at her captor's sharp tone.  "Aoshi, calm down."

            Icy blue eyes blazed back at her.  "This is a serious matter.  Did anyone call out to you?"

            "No."

            "—knocking on the door expecting to find an answer?"

            "No—"

            "Was it a discreet attempt to open the door, or was it hurried and careless?"

            "Quiet.  I almost missed it.  But Aoshi—"

            "Were there any other attempts?"

            "No, just the one.  Sit down."

            The captain preferred to pace.  His face was set in hard lines and finally, he said, "Tokio would have made her presence known.  This means one of two things:  they either found out who I am or they found out who you are."

            "I don't understand.  Who I am?"  Things were getting so complicated…

            "I think you underestimate your value to Kyoto."  Aoshi pushed on her shoulders to sit her down on the bed.  "If someone found out that you are a doctor, it could mean _big _trouble for the both of us.  They will want everything that is inside that mind of yours.  Good and bad.  And they will do whatever it takes to accomplish that."

            He wasn't telling her something.  She wanted to scream, _'Just tell me!'_ but she knew he would not.

            It was uncomfortably quiet in the room, bursting with personal worries and concerns.  Finally, Megumi asked in a voice like rain hitting a tin roof, "Why are you here, really, Aoshi?"

            The officer paced thoughtfully for a long time and the woman thought he wasn't going to answer her, but he did.  Today was full of surprises.

            "I'm here as punishment."

            "But—"

            "I used to work for the government," he began, pulling up a chair from the table so that he could face her.  "Protecting politicians, assassinations, security…the stuff that no one wanted to do."

            Megumi felt warm.  She was on the verge of something completely new.  Whoever this man was, she had a feeling he wasn't the type to reveal much about himself to anyone.

            _Now why would I think that?  _Meg inwardly laughed to herself.  _Wonder how a guy gets so serious…_

The Hitokiri captain tapped rhythms on his knee impatiently.  "Three years ago, I disobeyed a direct order from my superior.  As punishment, they sent me to join the Hitokiris to keep an eye on Shishio and one day kill him.  It took a long time for me to get in and even longer to rise in rank.  I will complete my mission, but I will not keep in contact with those officials while I am here or when things are done.  I want nothing more to do with politics."

            Meg cocked her head to the side.  "I still don't understand, how is this punishment?  This could possibly be your most important assignment."

            "Yes, but they do not expect me to survive.  This is a suicide mission."

            Megumi didn't think she heard him right.  "Wait."

            "If I somehow manage to kill Shishio, they will find me and try me for treason for my tenure as a Hitokiri.  Either way…" he spread his hands out to denote the uncertainty in which he lived his life.

            Meg couldn't believe him.  "So you're just going to let them kill you?"

            "It is not up to me anymore."

            The woman's eyes narrowed.  Leaning forward, she placed two hands firmly on Aoshi's shoulders.  "Do you want to live?"

            He did not answer, only looked at her blankly.

            "_Answer me!_"

            "I don't know."

            _I can't believe him…what a stupid moron!_

"Aoshi, if you truly want to live, that's all the answer I need.  You will survive and start a new life, away from Kyoto and the bloodshed."

            "They will find me."

            "Ah…but you will not let them win so easily."

            Perhaps he had been afraid to hope for a different life, to even hope to live past the day Shishio fell.  Whatever the case, she was going to make sure he learned to hope for a better future.

            Some days were more eventful than others.  Sometimes a note from Tokio would slip underneath the door.  Mostly it would offer a few words of encouragement, perhaps an update on Shishio's movements and warnings of present and future dangers.

            Perhaps living in such close quarters does something to the mind.  Neither captive nor captor minded the other's presence.  In fact, it seemed as though one would take comfort in the other at times.

            That's not how things are supposed to go.  It began with fear and intimidation.  Nothing can thrive with such brittle foundations as those.

            And yet…

            Megumi was organizing materials in the closet one late afternoon when the door burst open with a loud crack.  Startled, the woman watched as a group of Hitokiris, black uniforms crisp and deadly, came barging in, malicious sneers pasted on their faces.

            One of them came right up to her and grasped her by the arms.  "You've been hiding from us, Miss Takani."  The glasses perched on his nose gave him a sleazy look, as though he were trying to peer beneath the garments that she wore.

            "I'm not going anywhere with you."

            The man laughed at her fire.  "Really?  Your boyfriend not like sharing?  Such an inconsiderate man deserves what he gets."  Without hesitation, the man pulled a gun from his holster and pressed it against her temple.  "You're coming with us, doctor.  Care to scream?"

            Aoshi hated overseeing the new arrivals.  He hated target practice.  He hated being the one whose boot doubled men over.

            Why was he living like this?

            Something had changed and he wanted to know what it was exactly.  Regardless, he knew it had all begun the day he met the doctor.

            "Don't lie.  It's not nice to lie.  Just tell us how it's done and you can go on your merry way."  Kanryuu Takeda said, waving his pistol around like a madman.  He had taken her to some kind of gaming room, complete with pool table and bar.  It was just her, the psycho Hitokiri captain and a handful of his lackeys.  She would not be afraid of him.

            "Fuck you!" she spat.

            "THE FORMULA!!" he roared back, advancing on her slight form while a man behind her held her still.

            "You're sick."

            The Hitokiri's eyes flared wildly as he paced back and forth in front of her, practically brushing past her, gesticulating with his gun hand.  "No.  You know what's _sick, _Miss Takani, is walking around on a street, forced to look at un-born filth.  Their very stench decaying the pavement around them.  Blood will _always _tell, my dear, and it will be me who comes up with a way to kill them by the masses, cost-effectively."

            "You cannot think you will kill an entire nation of people and not pay the price!"

            "We've already begun!  You know about poisonous vapors.  I know you do.  Just think:  masses down by the day.  Or perhaps a liquid to put in their food.  Wipe them out by bedtime."

            "You don't need me.  There are plenty of toxins you can purchase from anywhere!"

            This time, he stopped to fix her with a crazed look.  "But you know a better way.  I can see it in your eyes, lovely."

            "There is no way to selectively kill an entire populace!  What kills an un-born will certainly kill a native-born as well, you _fucking _righteous prick!"

            But the men did not seem bothered by her outburst.  It seemed to feed their energy.

            "You'll want to tell us soon enough.  Maybe even beg for the opportunity."  Without another word, Megumi was pushed onto the hardwood floor, Kanryuu reaching for the front of her shirt.

            It was getting dark and Aoshi was in a hurry to get home.  He had never really thought of the one-room prison as a home, but now…it was beginning to seem more and more like one.  It was such a strange thought, but no matter how dismissive, it made the captain's step that much lighter.

            As he neared the cabin, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.  It was cold.  There were no lights on inside.  A chill spiked up his spinal cord, filling him with dread and what seemed like…fear?

            Rushing to the door, he found that the lock had been forced open.  He pulled the door aside and stood in the entryway.  The cabin was empty.

            So, they'd come for _her._

**_End Notes:  _**Seriously, I apologize for what's about to come.  I put it off as long as I could, so I hope it doesn't come out all muddled.  Thanks a lot, everyone, for all the support.  Next chapter is the conclusion.


	6. Hurt and Healing

**_Writer's Note:  _**If you are very sensitive or feel very strongly about human rights, it's best that you skim or skip over this chapter entirely.  (lol, kinda tough considering this is the last chapter)  For those who have no problem at all, well, do enjoy.  ^_^  The _Ice and Fire Contest _is over, so I decided to just post everything up since things are all completed.  :P  Happy reading!

_Oh Captain!  Mine Captain!  _By Leila Winters

            Megumi closed her eyes and tried to think about something else.  Her mind fought so hard while her body lay motionless.

_Five A.M._

_Friday morning,_

_Thursday night_

_Far from sleep._

_I'm still up and driving,_

_Can't go home obviously._

She wanted to be home.  She wanted to sit in bed and warm herself up.  Why was she always so cold?  So cold…

So I'll just change direction 

_'Cause they'll soon know where I live,_

_And I wanna live._

_Got a full tank and some chips._

She had nothing to cover herself up with.  The men were staring at her, their stupid faces rosy with lust.  Disgusting creatures, getting riled up by mere nakedness.  She blinked their images away until there was only one…

It was me 

_And a gun_

_And a man_

_On my back._

_And I sang "holy holy"_

_As he buttoned down his pants._

She wasn't asking to be saved.  She could only hope, only dream that someone would come.  Why didn't anyone come?

_You can laugh,_

_It's kind of funny_

_Things you think_

_Times like these._

_Like I haven't seen Barbados_

_So I must get out of this._

A hand closed around her mouth.  There were too many of them.  A hand combing through her hair, nails scraping against her scalp.

_Yes I wore a slinky red thing,_

_Does that mean I should spread_

_For you,_

_Your friends,_

_Your father,_

Mr. Ed? 

Aoshi was running now.  His heart beating faster.  He had to find her.  Find her and keep her safe.  His mind didn't want to think about what he would do if he was already too late.

_Tell me what's right._

_Is it my right_

_To be on my stomach_

_Of Fred's Seville?_

His lungs were burning.

            Her eyes were burning.

            Where was she?

            Where was he?

_Do you know Carolina,_

_Where the biscuits are soft and sweet?_

_These things go through your head_

_When there's a man on your back,_

_And you're pushed_

_Flat on your stomach,_

_It's not a classic Cadillac._

            Aoshi tried random doors, always on the move, always searching, listening, for anything.

_But I haven't seen Barbados,_

_So I must get out of this._

            The door burst open.  She was there.  Lying on the floor with a lowly guard whispering in her ear, a hand sliding down her flat belly.  Standing around them were several Hitokiris, one of them being Kanryuu Takeda.

            Kanryuu Takeda.

            Unable to keep the shock at bay, he stared at her and she stared back.

            "Shinomori…you're just in time," Takeda said.  "Join us for a bit of fun.  She's bred exceptionally well."

            Aoshi pulled his gun out, the others followed.  "Let her go."

            "Relax…she's not Untouchable if that's what you're worried about."  Kanryuu watched him carefully.  "But you knew that, didn't you?"

            "You can't do this.  She is heir to—"

            "It's too late for her!  She's already been branded un-born, who will listen to her now?  She's got no one to claim her, isn't that right?  Who would miss one more bitch when there are hoards left?"

            _I would miss her._

"C'mon, Shinomori.  Free native-born skin, ours for the taking."  The captain bent to the woman's level, grasping her by the chin and forcing her head back so that he could place his wretched lips on hers.  "Unless maybe…"  Takeda rose to circle him like vulture.  "Unless maybe you don't like women…no.  I think you do.  Maybe..." he raised his gun to the back of Aoshi's head.  "Maybe we have a traitor among our ranks."

Aoshi said nothing.

Takeda forced him to take a step forward.  "I never liked you, Shinomori.  You were always so methodical.  You never took any pleasure from un-born suffering."  

Pushing the captain onto his knees before Megumi, Kanryuu murmured into his ear, "You know what happens to traitors."

A Hitokiri moved to hold the doctor down, but Aoshi pushed him away.  "There's no need."

The woman sat up, glancing briefly at the ring of barrels surrounding them.  She avoided looking at his eyes, but when she did, he could see the red rims.

He was so angry.  _When_ would life stop offering this woman nothing but horror and tragedy?  Hadn't she had _enough_?  She was here because of him.  It was all his fault.

Bowing her head in silent acceptance, tears slid down her deathly pale cheeks.  She wanted him to live.  Even if it meant she was to suffer.

"Megumi..."  He leaned forward to kiss her temple, telling her wordlessly that everything would be fine.  And more importantly, that he was sorry.

Kanryuu fired a shot inches from the officer's leg.  "Get on with it.  You make us lose interest."

He'd never been afraid of death.  Now, as he hovered over the doctor's form, he found he wanted to live.  If he died, there would be no one to protect this woman.  And he wanted to protect her very badly.

Shooting Takeda a deadly glare, Aoshi unbuttoned the top buttons on his tunic.  His blood was starting to pump faster.  He tried not to think about the uneven hands fate dealt.  He tried not to think about anything at all.

Megumi held onto one of his black sleeves and pressed her face into it, suddenly overcome with tears, tired of being strong.

Aoshi was, too.

Slipping what was left of her shirt onto her body after it was done, he watched Kanryuu throw him a disgusted look.

"Let's go, boys.  Shinomori always manages to ruin my fun.  Clean up this fucking mess."  Practically spitting on his way out, Kanryuu kicked the doorframe and led the other Hitokiris out.

Sitting with knees drawn up, Aoshi rested his head against an arm, still breathing hard.  His other hand slipped into his hair.  He was so ashamed of himself.

Two delicate arms reached around his torso from behind and he felt Megumi lay her head against his back.  Both shaking, they sat like that for a long while.

The Hitokiri captain picked Meg up in his arms and carried her out of the building and into the brisk air.  Though she shivered in the cold, already she was beginning to relax, settling herself against him and sure that the worst was already past.

Once inside, Aoshi walked straight to the bathing area, set her on the ground and started running the hot water.

"Aoshi..." Meg began.

But he was already beginning to stew.  The muscles in his jaw rigidly worked with each movement of his body.

Going to the closet, he retrieved a towel and set it on the floor in front of the bathtub, his gun sitting on top.  The woman watched as he pushed the curtain to the side, giving a bather full view of the door.

"Wait here.  I'll be back.  I need to conduct a bit of business," with that, he stomped out and slammed the door.

'Oookay...somebody's packin' a lot of heat.'

Aoshi knew where he was going.  He'd been waiting for an excuse for a long time.  Stepping up to the cabin, he used his elbow to shatter the glass and unlock the door.

"What the..."  Kanryuu stopped grooming himself in the mirror, eyes wide with surprise.

Rushing at him, Aoshi kneed him in the gut, the other captain's skull cracking hard against the bathtub behind him.  Straddling the other man, the Hitokiri's eyes narrowed dangerously, one hand curling tightly around Takeda's neck and the other fisted to beat the man's face senselessly.  A streak of blood splattered itself across Aoshi's cheek.

"Do you want me to tell you something, Takeda?" Aoshi ground out, his voice strangely hollow and sinister.  "No one, and I mean _no one_ touches what is mine.  You were lucky to have your slack-jawed pageboys with you."  Leaning forward, he whispered in Kanryuu's ear, similarly to how it was done to him previously.  "But now no one is here to save you.  And you will feel ten times the amount of pain given to Dr. Takani as I peel your skin off and disembowel you with my bare fingers."

The abject fear in Kanryuu's eyes was satisfying.  But it wasn't enough.  Whispering in an even quieter voice, he said, "And I _will_ take pleasure from watching you suffer."

Pulling back to strike him again, a voice at the door interrupted, "Shinomori!"

Aoshi glared at Captain Hajime Saitou.  "Get out, this is none of your business."

"Don't be stupid, Shinomori.  He's not worth it."

"You have no idea," he said darkly.

Walking deeper into the room, Saitou nodded towards the door.  "Go take care of your woman.  I'll take care of our good friend Takeda."

Revenge was thick on his mind.  And yet, the red haze had begun to fade from his eyes.  Reluctantly, Aoshi rose from his position, Kanryuu gasping for breath.  He took one last look before crossing the threshold and heading back home.

Slowly, Saitou walked up to the bloody captain and placed a boot on his chest.  He bent over him with a small smile.  "Let's see what you know, shall we?"

Clean with a new set of clothes and toweling dry her hair, the door creaked open and Megumi scrambled for the gun she'd left on the bed.

"Wait," the figure said.

Shakily, the doctor lowered the pistol and watched Aoshi step into the room.  "Oh god...I almost shot you."

"But you didn't.  That's the difference between you and me."  He moved to wedge a chair firmly beneath the doorknob before standing in front her.

Meg reached up to touch the dried blood on his cheek.  "You're not like them, Aoshi."

His hair was still mussed, the look in his eyes cooling slowly.  He clasped her hand to his chest.  "I am."

"No…"  Megumi stepped closer to him, already barely touching him.  "You are an honorable man.  A sound protector.  And an excellent captain..."  Tipping her head up with a smirk, "...my captain."

Aoshi placed his hands on her waist and tilted his head to kiss her.

It was funny, here was their first shared kiss, but there were no fireworks, no marriage proposals, nor a wild, passionate embrace.  It was pure and full of all the hopes neither could ever say.

They were awakened by a ruckus outside.  Whatever was going on, the camp seemed to be in chaos.  Aoshi picked a note off the floor, which had been hastily scrawled and shoved underneath the door.  It read:  _It is done._

Immediately, the Hitokiri roused the doctor and began packing essentials.

"Aoshi...what's going on?"

He did not pause in his movements.  "During the night, Saitou finally got Shishio.  It's time to go.  A riot may soon start up."

Running out the door with a few belongings stuffed in bags, a gruesome sight awaited them.  Un-born ran frantically about, Hitokiris were burning papers, and on a stake in the ground was Kanryuu Takeda's head.  Aoshi smiled to himself, ushering Megumi on her way.

'You're a sick bastard, Saitou, but I appreciate the gesture.'

Together, they jumped into a jeep and rode off, leaving behind tragedy, despair and blood.

**_End Notes_**:  I apologize if I was too graphic, or not graphic enough!  (definitely a wide range of audiences)  It's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  :P

Last year, I did a project on "captor" and "captive" relationships.  It is actually true that if someone is in a hostage situation long enough, they will start to sympathize and even fall in love with their captors.  In actuality, it could take little more than a few days if in seclusion.

Originally, I was planning an epilogue with Meg and Aoshi living together and Soujiro popping up at the front door.  But when I got to the end, it seemed too heavy to end that way, so I'd rather leave it ambiguous.  It's neither happy nor sad.  I think I like stories like that.  Imagine away, folks.  HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED!

**_Disclaimer:_**  I didn't want to spoil the fun at the beginning.  The slightly cut lyrics from _Me and a Gun_ by Tori Amos supply the lovely detail in Meg's…um…unfortunate scene.  ^_^  A highly emotional song.  Check it out.  (It's a true-story song)


End file.
